The Ukrainian Armed Forces are withdrawing American Abrams tanks from the front line due to the threat of attacks by Russian drones, AР News reports.
American officials cited by AP, say the US will work with the Ukraine to reset tactics, including more effective use of the equipment in combined arms attacks.
At a cost of about $10 million each, the US sent 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine last January.
They came after Kyiv had lobbied hard for them, seeing them as a means of breaking through Russian defenses. However, since drones now proliferate the battlefield, they’ve come to be seen as mostly overweight duds – five tanks have already been lost in Russian attacks.
The use of drones has changed the situation on the battlefield, making it more difficult for Ukraine to defend tanks that are quickly detected by hunter-killer drones.
The proliferation of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield means “there isn’t open ground that you can just drive across without fear of detection,” a senior US defense official told AP.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), said that Ukraine would use the Abrams tanks only for well-planned, breakthrough operations.
“They need to be used specifically for very specific, well-thought-out operations, because if they are thrown to the front line, they will not survive on the battlefield for very long. They need to be used in breakthrough operations, but very well prepared,” he said.
Russian Drones Attack Ukraine Overnight, Damaging Infrastructure and Causing Injuries
In an April 20 article, The New York Times, citing Col. Markus Reisner, an Austrian military trainer who closely follows how weapons are being used in the war in the Russo-Ukrainian War, wrote that over the past two months, Russian drones have disabled five Abrams tanks, with another three moderately damaged since the tanks arrival at the front lines at the beginning of the year.
The drones that are now being used against tanks in Ukraine are also growing more and more accurate, it reported.
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Comments (4)
USA said as much in the beginning..Abrams are meant to operate in COMBINED arms warfare. There is SUPPOSED to ve air
support. They are NOT built for the current type of warfare in Ukraine
Perhaps Ukraine could trade the remaining 26 M1A1 tanks to Poland for F-16s? just a thought.
@Doris Ann, the chicken scared Abrams are running away lmao
@S Wolfskin, GO FUCK YOURSELF S WOLFSKIN. YOU ARE A WORTHLESS FUCKING SUB HUMAN. YOU ARE A WASTE OF OXYGEN FUCK HEAD.
@PIECE OF SHIT, Why tho?? Are Abrams and their bros Leopard taking cover??? seeking hideout?? they dont want to be wrecked by some cheap flying toy riiiiiight??? 🤣 there is a limitation to everyth.
@S Wolfskin, Hahaha, stupid Nazi Bandera shitheads
@S Wolfskin, FUCK YOU RUSSIAN PIG !!!
Het slagveld is compleet verandert ten opzichte van het verleden. Tanks raken achterhaald te worden door de drones. Je word overal gezien en vanuit een dode hoek aangevallen. Een tank kost 5 miljoen en een drone een paar duizend. Tanks redden het niet meer tegen de dreiging uit de lucht. Slava Ukraini.
The same arguments apply to Leopard tanks as well. Will only American tanks be exclusively used in specific and meticulously planned operations? Will only American military personnel collaborate with Ukrainians to review the tactics for utilizing these tanks? What about European tanks? Why exclude them? I hope this issue can be clarified.